For the cover art on his new album, Conor Oberst seems to have escaped from the bizarro Gilligan's Island he was stranded on for his solo debut. And he's even made some friends from the Mystic Valley Band. Of course, it might easier to make friends if he didn't do weird things like wear a blindfold in his grandmother's living room. Then again, maybe he's having trouble adjusting to natural light again.

 

But before you get caught up pondering Oberst's arty blindness symbolism, ask yourself this: What the hell is that toy giraffe doing hiding behind the couch? That is the real mystery in Outer South , which apparently is a land that looks a lot like the furniture section in your local Salvation Army.

 

Outer South will be out May 4 in the UK on Wichita and May 5 in the U.S. from Merge. [Stereogum]